Illinois Bicycle Law Pages

Monday, January 28, 2013

Keating Law Offices Settles Lawsuit from North Side Bike Accident

Attorneys Michael Keating and Joseph
Vietri of Keating Law Offices have successfully settled a lawsuit on
behalf of a Chicago bicyclist who suffered severe injuries after he was
hit while riding in Lincoln Avenue's designated bike lane.

The incident
occurred on the morning of August 26, 2010 near Lincoln Avenue's
intersection with Damen Avenue and Irving Park Road. The bicyclist was
heading south-eastbound within the bike lane. At the same time the
driver of a vehicle, also traveling south-eastbound, attempted to pass
the bicyclist on the left. The driver failed to complete the pass and
instead slammed his car into the bicyclist. The victim bicyclist was
thrown from his bike onto the pavement with such force that the impact
cracked his helmet. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was
diagnosed with multiple serious injuries including a left hip fracture,
sprained left wrist and shoulder, and severe road rash.

After
filing a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Cook County on behalf of the
injured bicyclists, the attorneys of Keating Law Offices were able to
reach a successful settlement with the defendant driver's insurance
company. The settlement covered the cost of the bicyclist's physical
injuries, medical treatment and the damage to his bike. The attorneys
were able to obtain this settlement by arguing that the driver had
clearly violated numerous provisions of the Illinois Motor Vehicle Code
and the Municipal Code of Chicago.

Under
Illinois and Chicago law, every person riding a bicycle on a roadway is
given the same legal rights as the driver of a motor vehicle. That
means that all motor vehicle drivers have a duty to exercise care to
avoid colliding with bicyclists. The lawsuit specifically alleged that
the driver violated Section 9-16-020 of the Municipal Code of Chicago which requires that any

"operator
of [a] motor vehicle overtaking [a] bicycle traveling on the right side
of the roadway shall not turn to the right in front of the bicycle...
until such vehicle has overtaken and is safely clear of the bicycle."

The lawsuit also alleged that the driver violated Section 9-36-010(c) of the Municipal Code of Chicago which requires drivers to

"leave a safe distance, but not less than 3 feet, when passing a bicycle..."

In this case, the driver obviously disobeyed
his legal obligations to use care and to leave a minimum safe distance
of 3 feet when attempting to pass a bicyclist - a decision which
resulted in painful and long-lasting consequences for the victim.

The
Illinois Bicycle Lawyers of Keating Law Offices have experience
representing bicyclists who have been injured while riding in Chicago's
bike lanes. While Chicago is one of the world's leading bicycle-friendly
cities, its network of bike lanes and signs warning drivers about the
presence of bicyclists does not guarantee the safety of bicyclists under
all circumstances. Bicyclists continue to be the victims of impatient,
inattentive and reckless drivers even on routes as popular as the
Lincoln Avenue bike lane. Our firm has previously obtained settlements,
like this case's, on behalf of bicyclist injured while riding in
Chicago's bike lanes including the Kinzie Street protected bike lane and the West Roosevelt Road designated bike lane.

If
you have any questions about this post, or any question about Illinois
personal injury law, please contact Illinois Bicycle Lawyer Mike Keating
by calling him at 312-208-7702 or emailing him at MKeating@KeatingLegal.com,
24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All emails and phone calls are returned
promptly. All initial consultations are free and confidential.

10/10 "Superb" Rating on AVVO

KEATING LAW OFFICES

The Illinois Bicycle Lawyers at Keating Law Offices is the top law firm in Chicago, Illinois representing victims of bicycles accidents and crashes. The firm has successfully represented numerous victims of bicycle accidents and collisions in Chicago, the suburbs, and throughout the rest of Illinois. In the process the firm has recovered literally millions of dollars in compensation for its clients.

The firm is managed by Mike Keating, an Illinois bicycle accident attorney based in Chicago and founder of Keating Law Offices. The firm has handled several high profile bicycle-related cases and is known as a firm that is not afraid of handling complicated bicycle-related lawsuits and claims. The attorneys at Keating Law Offices are considered national leaders in the area of bicycle law.

Mike Keating is himself an avid bicyclist and is the Chair of the Bicycle Litigation Committee for the American Association for Justice. He is also on the Board of Managers for the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. The firm's attorneys are always available to answer any questions regarding a bicycle accident or crash. The firm's attorneys can meet you any place that is convenient for you to discuss your case. Please call at any time for a free consultation with absolutely no obligation. We are here to help.

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Illinois and Chicagoland Bicycle (Bike) Crash and Accident Attorneys

Keating Law Offices is a Chicago, Illinois firm of trial attorneys focused on handling cases involving bicycle collisions and accidents. Keating Law Offices has successfully represented hundreds of bicyclists throughout Illinois who have been injured in a bicycle crash or accident. If you have been injured in a bicycle crash or accident, please contact Illinois Bike Accident Attorney Mike Keating at mkeating@keatinglegal.com or call Keating Law Offices at 312-208-7702. All initial consultations are free and all communications are confidential and privileged in accordance with Illinois law.

Keating Law Offices represents victims of bicycle crashes and accidents throughout Illinois including Chicago, the surrounding suburbs, and Downstate Illinois. Bike Collision and Accident Attorney Mike Keating and the attorneys at Keating Law Offices have represented clients in the Circuit Courts of Cook County, Lake County, DuPage County, McHenry County, Kane County, Will County and LaSalle County. The clients have been from the Chicago neighborhoods of Pilsen, Austin, Andersonville, Bucktown, Wicker Park, Loop, West Loop, South Loop, Bridgeport, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Morgan Park, Englewood, Edgewater, Ravenswood, Rogers Park, Sauganash and Beverly as well as nearby suburbs such as Oak Park, Evanston, Elmhurst, Villa Park, Evergreen Park, Highland Park, Kenilworth, Glen Ellyn, Glenview, Wheaton, Lisle, Naperville, Orland Park, Glenview, Winnetka, Wilmette, Arlington Heights, Northbrook, Round Lake and Skokie. Chicago Bicycle Crash and Accident Attorney and Illinois Bicycle Crash and Accident Attorneys at Keating Law Offices, P.C.

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Illinois Bicycle Lawyers at Keating Law Offices

The Illinois Bicycle Lawyers are one of the nation's leading law firms that focus on representing injured bicyclists.